1. Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and retrieval and more specifically to use of airborne deployment and retrieval of low value UAVs from a multiple unit magazine with advanced grappling capability.
2. Background
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being utilized as assets in many surveillance and combat activities. Presently, most UAV missions with complex requirements are satisfied using high value UAVs. Due to limited availability of these assets, mission planners need to coordinate the various assets to insure a UAV with sufficient capabilities is available, at the specific time and location of the intended mission. Should the mission change or get delayed, UAV mission support may be missing or limited. Due to limited range and performance, low value UAVs require ground support to be able to launch the UAV close to the mission location. Not only does this proximity to the mission location put ground forces at risk, it also precludes the ability to dynamically change mission locations and objectives due the logistical effort of relocating specific UAV assets close to an alternate launch location.
It is therefore desirable to provide a solution that addresses these and other problems.